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Need some new Degrassi, like NOW? Watch the first scene of Friday's episode here:

If anyone ever has something to apologize to me about, I hope they use the line, "I come in peace... with breakfast sandwiches." I think I love breakfast sandwiches about as much as EClare love each other. :)

See the rest of "Bitter Sweet Symphony, pt. 2" this Friday, 2/22 at 9pm et!

Everyone seemed pretty happy to be back at Degrassi... right up until they got their Spirit Week bandanas. (That's not how Spirit Week is supposed to work, guys.) When Tristan warned Cam to watch out for Zig, I was like, "This is gonna get messy..." but I had no idea just how messy it would get. That hockey fight was brutal, and the stuff Zig said to Cam on the steps? So mean and so wrong.

A moment of peace, pre-pillow-fight. :)

Seeing Cam cry breaks my heart. I have lots of experience with depression and I wish I could protect everyone else in the world from feeling that kind of pain. I'm glad that when Cam ran into a random classroom to be alone, Alli was in there, willing to talk him through it. Alli seems to think flowers can fix anything. I'm not sure I buy that, but when Cam showed up at the Matlins' as a "bouquet with legs," I just wanted to hug him. I mean, I know he hurt Zig, but I also understand that he's going through some tough stuff, and I think he deserves another chance. The total cuteness of Cam and Maya (and Hoot) wrestling on the couch pretty much made my night. I lovelovelove those two (or three, if you count Hoot).

Meanwhile, Dallas seems really into Alli, but has he ruined his chances with her by bullying Cam? I can never quite decide how I feel about Dallas. I guess he's a good guy somewhere inside, but I wish he didn't care quite so much about hockey. Life isn't always about winning, Dallas! Sometimes, you've just gotta chill.

Dooon't do it, Eli!

As for Eli and Clare and the locker sharing, I have to point out how far Eli has come since the hoarding storyline. He has room in his locker for Clare's stuff, and he's willing to share it with her! And that line about how she'll have her own drawer in his NYU dorm room? *dreamy sigh* But after all the stuff Eli has been through, I was really disappointed that he decided to read Clare's journal. I mean, I know Dave kind of urged him into it, but... I think privacy is essential, and I don't ever, ever, ever, under any circumstances, think it's OK to read someone else's journal (or their texts or email, for that matter).

That said, I feel like Clare could've been a little more careful with her journal, because the temptation to peek at someone's private thoughts can be tough to resist. Maybe she should've kept the journal in her bag, or at home? Then again, if Helen or Glen found it, that could've caused an even bigger nightmare for her. Can you imagine how they would've reacted to her entries about Jake?!? Ohhhh, that would've been bad.

The questions in my head at the moment:
Will Clare forgive Eli for invading her privacy?
Does Dallas have any chance with Alli at this point?
Will Camaya stay together?
What is that adorable little owl up to?

Leave a comment if you have any thoughts! And don't miss Bitter Sweet Symphony, pt. 2, Friday at 9pm et.

Becky and Adam like each other a lot, and I really, really wanted their relationship to work. I'm so mad at Becky's parents right now -- and so glad this episode aired on Spirit Day, since it's such a good example of how close-minded and judgmental people can be. The Bakers seem like intelligent, caring people, but the way they treated Adam when they found out he's transgender broke my heart. (Rewatch that scene here.) I hope they come around, because this storyline is starting to feel Romeo & Juliet-ish, and I just can't handle that. Beckdam have dealt with enough. I want some happiness for them -- and soon. I don't want to make you cry, but I'm going to post a screenshot from that final scene:

I can't even imagine what Becky's going through. It's an impossibly hard choice. One on side, she has her family, whom she's always been super-close to, and her faith. On the other side, she has Adam, the one guy who makes her heart happy. That's got to be so hard, because no matter what she decides, she's going to end up sad. And what kind of "therapy" are her parents sending her to? I am starting to cry again just thinking about it. I'm going to change the subject before I get tears all over my keyboard.

Drew and Bianca are getting MARRIED! For realsies!! I'm glad that Bianca explained to Drew that she needs him to pay for the Vegas tickets. At first I was like "Where is Fiona getting $3000?!?" Like I said in last week's post, I think Bianca and Drew's marriage might actually work, but I know I'm in the minority there. Yes, they're young, but they've been through SO much, and they really love each other. (Sigh. I'm still thinking about Adam and Becky no matter how hard I try to move on.)

Let's talk about Eli's short films. Most of my good friends at NYU were in the film program, so I've seen a lot of student-made short films in my day. Eli's first project might be the worst one I've ever seen. Life tip: Don't do drugs. (I'm sure the Degrassi team had fun making the short films for this episode, though.) I'm glad Eli got a second chance, because his next project, about his relationship with Clare, was almost TOO GOOD. I loved it. It made me tear up.

One last little note: I love WhisperHug, and I'm so glad Becky got them to perform at the fundraiser. I hope they someday put out an album, and I hope it's for sale in the real world.

p.s. I am still thinking about Becky and Adam. I just want to hug them both so hard.

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Degrassi's back, Degrassi's back! Tonight's episode had so many good Degrassi moments. (If you haven't seen it yet, watch it here before you read any further.)

I love that the episode begins with Becky talking to Jenna about how she's "ready for a fresh start." We all are, Becky! Yay for fresh starts and fresh new episodes of Degrassi!

Let's talk about Adam and Becky. Has the Degrassi fandom agreed on a couple name yet? I was leaning toward Adecky, because it's fun to say, but I've also seen people using Beckam and Beckdam... what's it gonna be? Share your preference in the comments, please. I love these two and hope I'll get to talk about them A LOT this season, so I need to know what to call them.

At the beginning of the episode, Becky seemed to be trying way too hard to get Adam to like her, but how cute was that mall montage? (Rewatch it here!) It made me want a life full of love and french fries. That fry-throwing scene... Oh, my heart. Sigh. :)

My only concern here involves the words "secret boyfriend." I feel like secrets have a way of getting out, and it usually happens at the worst possible time.

When Becky invited Adam over to dinner, I think I was more nervous than either of them. (Oh, by the way, that book Adam was reading when Becky called? Survival by Margaret Atwood. I'm a book nerd, so I paused it to check, haha. I'm guessing this one might be homework-related, and not a just-for-fun book, but who knows?) Rewatch Adam's dinner at the Bakers' here. How are you feeling about Adam and Becky right now?

Now, let's talk about Eli. He's verrrry excited about going to NYU, isn't he? I really hope he gets in -- and not just because I went there. I worry how he'll react if he gets a rejection letter. If I could talk to him (or anyone who's that obsessed with going to a particular college), I'd remind him that even if he doesn't get in on the first try, he can go somewhere else and try to transfer later. Also: In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter much where you go to college, as long as you go somewhere... but I doubt Eli wants to hear that right now.

When Eli was struggling for film ideas, I was like, "Whoa, he is trying way too hard." (He and Becky both need to relax -- and I don't mean Jake's way.) When Jake suggested that Eli smoke pot before making his film, I was both surprised and annoyed. I miss the Jake that was so worried about Clare when she moved in with the sketchy pot farmers. I miss the Jake that cares about recycling and the environment, and builds a green roof at Degrassi. I'm an environmentalist, too, and I feel like he's making environmentalists look bad. Get it together, Jake. And get it together, Eli!

And of course, let's talk about Drew, Bianca, and Mrs. Torres. I understand why Audra thinks they're too young to get married. If normal high school kids announced their engagement, I'd probably be just as skeptical as she is. But Drew and Bianca aren't exactly normal -- despite their young age, they've both dealt with some seriously grown-up stuff. I feel like getting married could be a good thing for them. I hope Audra comes around.

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When Munro Chambers (Eli on Degrassi) was in L.A. for the Degrassi Party, I got to hang out with him in a hotel room for a while and talk about Degrassi -- and we talked about tonight's episode, Watch "Need You Now, pt. 2." If you haven't seen it yet, watch it before you read any further. *spoilers below*

Let's talk about "Need You Now," the two-parter where Eli finally gets together with Imogen, but then thinks she's cheating on him. As I watched the episode, I was kinda like, "Oh, man, he's flipping out, he's flipping out... where is this going?" I really like Eli as a character, and I was worried it was going to a really bad place. So it was such a relief when his psychologist says he doesn't have anything to worry about, and that it's just teenage hormones. (Note: I didn't tell Munro this, but that part made me cry.)
Munro: Well that's the whole thing with him being bipolar... it's a chemical thing. It's not just a phase he's going through. It's intense, because he doesn't know if he's being bipolar or just jealous. The man has been through a lot! He needs to just relax.

Can you relate to that in your own life at all? I feel like it's so easy for any normal person who has a really strong crush on someone to be walking the line of what is actually OK behavior. Munro: I feel like it all comes down to just overthinking stuff. I think everybody goes through that. When you start to feel for somebody, you get in that mindset where you just want to be with them. And when things start to go sour, you're like "Why is it going sour? Did I do something wrong? Did I not wear the right shoes? Is my top weird? Does it not show my shoulders the right way? There are just so many elements to it."

It shows your shoulders just right. Haha.
Munro: Thank you. (laughs) But yeah, I think it's very easy to feel that. You see it in your daily life and with your friends. Playing a character who gets jealous... everyone gets jealous! Even as an actor, you get jealous, like when you want a role so bad, and you don't get it.

With Eli, he's like "What could I have done better?" and he starts hating on himself and hurting himself, and he just needs to relax. He's a stubborn person and he's very hard-headed, but he just wants to be liked like everybody else. He just wants to be accepted, in his own little group. And it's hard to feel accepted when you're dealing with a disorder that segregates you.

Imogen is such a complex character, too. Every episode, she's different. She's got her own stuff going on -- it's like, one minute she's stalking him and she's crazy in love with him, and the next minute, when she has him, she doesn't want him anymore. Maybe it's just like... you want what you can't have...

I feel like that's realistic, too. She really put him on a pedestal.
Munro: Yeah, 100%. It's like when you're a kid and you want this toy, and then you get it and you're like "Why did I want this?"

So, Eli's a senior now. Where would you like to see him go?
Munro: I want him to keep his path of trying to be healthy. He's biking, he's working out... he's trying to get rid of the darkness. But he's starting to realize that getting rid of the dark clothes isn't getting rid of the "darkness" of being bipolar.

I want to see him go back to being that conniving, pranking, defending his friends kind of person, because I feel like he's very much the dark knight of Degrassi. Eli is a weird, quirky guy, but he's compassionate. I want to see him get better, I want him to find love, with whoever it may be...

I love what you said about him being a dark knight of Degrassi, and I love-love-love his friendship with Adam.
Munro: I kinda want to see the Misfits again! He has Fiona, which is such a great friendship, but I do also love his friendship with Adam.

Me too! Maybe it's just because I'm a writer, but I'd also like to see Eli do more writing.
Munro: Oh, I think he will. He's very much an artist in that sense. I love his writing. He did Love Roulette, but I'd like to see him tackle something else, when he's not in such a state. Above all though, I just want to see him be accepted a little bit more. I like that he's an outsider, because it's a lot of fun to play.